Acid Rain Legislation :: essays research papers

pungent Rain Legislation     Acid fall is a destructive gist as a direct of nature and man colliding.It is formed through harmful industrial emissions combining with contents ofthe earths atmosphere a dangerous combination. This prompted governments end-to-end North America to take action. Many laws and regulations have beenimplemented, yet the question still remains, "Should tougher legislation beimplemented to force industries to reduce acid rain emissions?"     To decide whether tougher legislation should be implemented, one mustfirst understand the details of what exactly acid rain is. Acid rain is aresult of mankinds carelessness. It travels a long one of the most efficientbiogeo chemical cycles on earth, the Hydrologic Cycle. This allows acid rain todistribute itself further away from its source causing more than topical anesthetic problems.Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) is released by fossil fuels when they undergo combustion.Power p lants and other fossil fuel burning industrial areas release variousforms of nitrous oxides (Nox). These two chemical compounds combine with thewater in the atmosphere to form what is known as acid rain.     The main reason that has prompted legislation of industrial emissionsfrom governments is because of the negative effects they stinkpot have on theenvironment. Acid rain is harmful to the environment because of its low pH.It can harm the biotic components of earth, and also the abiotic components.Its high acidity degrades soil to the aspire where it cannot support any type ofplant life. Trees in forests are killed over long-term exposure. When thesetrees are killed, an imbalance in the hydrologic cycle can occur. Withoutliving trees to see the precipitate, it must be consumed by the earth or anyother plants. These will receive an excess of water, causing other problems inthe hydrologic cycle. This in unblock causes a chain reaction of death among ourforest s. Some regions are more susceptible to acid rain because they dont haveenough Alkaline soil to " avoid" the acid before it is able to destroy therest of the soil or before it can run off into lakes or rivers. Aquaticenvironments can be greatly affected by soil runoff. Acidic soil may runoffinto lakes and rivers due to erosion, causing acid rain to destroy moreenvironment. Acid rain aquatic animals as well as aquatic plant life. Whenacid rain combines with water in major bodies of water, it not only destroyswildlife habitat, it destroys our beverage water. An aquatic ecosystem is verydependent on each and every aspect within itself. Once one species dies off,others that depend on it, will eventually come out to die off also.